Volume 2, Episode 8
When they finally managed to reach the radio tower, without any rest, Rapi immediately attempted to communicate directly with Ark through a direct line. Meanwhile, Anis and Neon remained on alert in the surrounding area.
Moore, having been advised to rest for a while, sat in the control room of the radio tower. He removed the lollipop painkiller he had been sucking on and, in its place, lit a cigarette with an oil lighter.
"Rapi is going to be nag at you. You know that, right ?", Anis remarked.
"...I can't cope with this crap situation without smoking. Besides, if I were to die like this, I'd regret not having my last smoke," Moore replied.
While gently smoking, Moore lightly touched the bandaged area below his right knee, where multiple layers of bandages covered the severed part. Thanks to the painkiller or perhaps because his pain receptors had dulled, the pain wasn't as severe as before.
"...I feel sorry for Commander Moore, having such a serious injury..."
"Yeah, there was nothing Yuni could do."
"...Yeah, and we didn't even finish the fight properly. But Yuni helped me out by preloading my recoilless rifle with a round. Thanks."
Despite the hole in his abdomen having closed up quickly, he still grimaced. He seemed able to crack a few jokes, but his complexion was far from good.
"Y-yeah... you're welcome?"
"...But... the fact that the Rapture capture squad, Wardress, let the Rapture escape remains unchanged."
"...Will Yuni and the others be scrapped...?"
"...It depends on Syuen's decision."
In a somewhat resigned manner, Mihara spoke, but Yuni, her peach-colored hair tousled, vigorously shook her head from side to side, as if trying to shake off a predicted future.
"Yuni doesn't want to be abandoned...! Yuni doesn't want to be separated from Mihara...!"
"Yeah... I feel the same way."
The operation and mission they had been assigned had ended in failure. They understood that what Syuen sought was success, and she was unlikely to accept apologies or explanations.
"Commander! Please help Yuni and the others so they won't be disposed of!" Uni pleaded, directing her gaze towards Moore.
Moore, however, didn't think he had the power to change their fate.
"My abilities won't be enough. The opponent is the CEO, and I am a mere commander, I don't think I can do much against her."
"...Yeah, that's true..."
He also voiced the reality. Still, he could have said something more reassuring. A man who lacked consideration wouldn't be very popular, Mihara thought.
"But... there's something..."
"What is it?"
His complexion didn't look great, probably due to the fatigue from the injury and blood loss. He turned to them with a serious look in his eyes.
"You guys have a track record of successfully capturing Raptures. That young lady recognizes your skills. You're valuable... I don't like using this analogy, but you're the kind of people I want to keep on hand. I don't think you'll be disposed of... Well, I don't know what will happen to me, but... if, by any chance, you're about to be disposed of, you can mention my name. And you can add that I once said, 'Next time, I'll make you urinate in front of the public.' "
"Oh... Would you really say that?"
"Yeah, I don't mind."
This reassurance was probably the best they could get. Moore let out a puff of smoke and relaxed slightly.
...If they had met a little earlier, maybe things would have been different. For she was drawn to the commander in front of her to the extent that honest attraction began to bud.
"Commander... Shifty is now connected."
At that moment, Lapi returned with good news. In response, he activated the headset with earpieces, but there was no response. It seemed to be broken.
"Here you go."
"Sorry... Thank you."
She handed him another headset. He expressed his thanks and took off his helmet. He then removed the headset he had been wearing, placed the housing over one ear, and brought the microphone to his mouth.
"Commander taking over."
[What on earth are you thinking!!]
The operator's first words were shouts of anger. Even though it was through the headset, he could almost envision her furious expression in front of him.
[Going up to the surface without any report? And mobilizing a squad...! You'll be facing a court-martial!]
Coulde he, as an injured party, wished for a bit more leniency? However, Shifty was in a towering rage and didn't give him a chance to respond.
But he couldn't remain silent when being scolded like this. He seized the moment to respond to Shifty, who had finally stopped.
"Regarding this incident, it was caused by orders from Miss Syuen, the CEO of Missile... I mean, Missiles Industries. I won't say we bear no responsibility, but the main blame should be directed at her."
[Syuen? Chairman Syuen?]
When he mentioned Shuen's name, there was a hint of hesitation from Shifty on the other side of the housing. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again.
[I see. There's some "outer" involvement. I'll report this to Vice Commander Anderson.]
"Ah, I'd appreciate that."
[And... how's the situation?]
"It's the worst. Two heavy injuries in the Wardress squad. As for the Counters squad... the only significant injury is mine. My right leg is amputated below the knee, and I've lost vision in my right eye."
Silence fell abruptly. He wondered if something had happened.
[What... amputation!? And losing sight...!?]
"…Rapi should have given you a rough report. And this exchange is being recorded, right? So, let me make it clear. Regarding the injuries, there's absolutely no blame on Nikke and the other squad who participated in this operation. It's entirely my own doing as Lieutenant Shaw Moore, as I cut off my own leg and removed a shard that had pierced my right eye. Please record this."
He knew there was a vague rule called the Commander's Absolute Protection Law. Still, the fact that his participation in a combat situation with significantly increased risk of injury or death was being quietly accepted was because it was considered a voluntary act of the commander, and if interpreted more broadly, it could be seen as an act of self-harm or suicide.
Whether it would be applied or not was uncertain, but he wanted to make sure this significant injury wouldn't be attributed to the responsibility of Shifty, and his squad members.
—Is this person really injured ?
A sigh escaped from Shifty involuntarily.
[I understand. About ten minutes' walk from that radio tower, there should be a collapsed old-era airport with a runway. We'll send a transport there. Just be prepared awhen you come back! There WILL be consequences for this!!]
"...Ah. I didn't intend to let it end for free. I'll accompany you on dates and shopping, and I'm even planning to treat you to drinks and anything else."
[Haaah....Communication end!]
With the thought that if he can make such light-hearted remarks, there's no need to worry, Shifty quickly ended the communication.
Acknowledging that, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, tossed the cigarette butt into a portable ashtray, and pursed his lips while once again putting the painkiller stick in his mouth with a deep sigh.
"...It's hurting again."
"Are you okay, Commander?"
"I'm fine. The transport is coming. Let's secure landing zone 'LZ' as soon as possible."
Using an iron pipe as a cane, he slowly started walking, still appearing weary even in his slightest movements.
-----
A sandstorm raged, and the battlefield was filled with dust that obscured the view, accompanied by the sound of gunfire and beams of light crossing the sky.
In the midst of the swirling dust, under the gleaming red monoculars, they aimed their firearms, pulled the triggers, and continued to defeat the advancing Rapture creatures.
"There are too many!"
The fact that the Raptures didn't seem to decrease even after being defeated was reason enough for Anis to mutter with frustration as she fired grenades into the fray.
"The transport is coming soon! Keep up the barrage!"
"Sensei!"
With one leg lost and her right eye gone, Moore still fired her gun towards the enemy, trying to give the squad addtional firepower. Sensing that Rapture beams were about to converge on him, Neon pulled her body armor over him to shield him.
At that moment, Moore, lying on his back, saw multiple beams passing above him against his will.
"Sorry...Phew, I'm saved!"
He tensed his abdominal muscles, raised his upper body, handed his assault rifle over to the rubble, and took a firing position. He aimed through the ACOG, aligning his sights on the glowing red monocular he spotted, and fired short bursts.
The bullets pierced the core of the quadrupedal Rapture just before it attacked, causing the enemy craft to collapse and fire its beam in an unintended direction.
The beam struck the wreckage of a passenger plane that had been parked there decades ago, causing it to explode, presumably still containing some fuel.
Moore felt the shockwave of the explosion on his skin, but suddenly, the cries of men and women of all ages echoed in his mind.
----What is this?
As the throbbing headache intensified, so did the vivid echoes of the cries.
The painkiller should still be working. He couldn't understand why he was experiencing such excruciating pain.
Then, two turbo shafts roared, their explosions vibrating his eardrums.
"They're here!"
Looking up at the swirling dust, Rapi saw the transport approaching. But the Raptures wouldn't allow the transport to approach unharmed.
As soon as anti-aircraft fire began to streak through the sky, the transport started evasive maneuvers.
Just as Rapi was about to leap out from behind the rubble to continue attacking the Raptures that were attacking the transport from above, the cargo door at the rear of the aircraft opened, and something inside the aircraft shone, catching his left eye.
"Get down! Close Air Support, CAS!"
His warning came just in time. As flashes of light like camera flashes ran through the cargo area of the transport, the Raptures, which had been actively firing anti-aircraft beams into the sky, were shot down and exploded.
Not stopping there, a straight line of dust rose from the runway. Afterward, there was a continuous, deep bass gunfire, with a staggering rate of nearly 4,000 rounds per minute.
The shots struck the ground in a single line, and the Raptures that touched the line were destroyed one after another.
Unfortunately, Moore couldn't witness this spectacle as he was lying down, but when he got up after close air support had ended, he looked up at the sky.
Several figures descended from the cargo of the twin-rotor transport without using ropes, following the pull of gravity toward the ground.
"Absolute... Elysion's strongest squad..."
"What a dependable reinforcements..."
It's convenient to be able to descend without using ropes, he thought with sincere envy. And while noticing that the clothing worn by the three figures closely resembled Rapi's own, Moore couldn't help but feel 'relief' that reinforcements had arrived.
---And that's where his constant surge of adrenaline stop pumping.
"Sensei? SENSEI!?"
"Neon, what's wrong!?"
-- Amidst the blurred vision, the panicked voices of his subordinates remained in his ears as he reached his limit and lost consciousness.
-----
Author Notes:
Even though he's sustained such combat injuries and is still conscious, I think the commander has pretty much stopped being human.
*On February 22, in a surprising collaboration, information came out that "Ark-made weapons are basically fingerprint-locked. They can't be used by anyone other than the designated individual." (Seriously!?), so this is a bit of a forced coincidence...
Volume 2, Episode 8
When they finally managed to reach the radio tower, without any rest, Rapi immediately attempted to communicate directly with Ark through a direct line. Meanwhile, Anis and Neon remained on alert in the surrounding area.
Moore, having been advised to rest for a while, sat in the control room of the radio tower. He removed the lollipop painkiller he had been sucking on and, in its place, lit a cigarette with an oil lighter.
"Rapi is going to be nag at you. You know that, right ?", Anis remarked.
"...I can't cope with this crap situation without smoking. Besides, if I were to die like this, I'd regret not having my last smoke," Moore replied.
While gently smoking, Moore lightly touched the bandaged area below his right knee, where multiple layers of bandages covered the severed part. Thanks to the painkiller or perhaps because his pain receptors had dulled, the pain wasn't as severe as before.
"...I feel sorry for Commander Moore, having such a serious injury..."
"Yeah, there was nothing Yuni could do."
"...Yeah, and we didn't even finish the fight properly. But Yuni helped me out by preloading my recoilless rifle with a round. Thanks."
Despite the hole in his abdomen having closed up quickly, he still grimaced. He seemed able to crack a few jokes, but his complexion was far from good.
"Y-yeah... you're welcome?"
"...But... the fact that the Rapture capture squad, Wardress, let the Rapture escape remains unchanged."
"...Will Yuni and the others be scrapped...?"
"...It depends on Syuen's decision."
In a somewhat resigned manner, Mihara spoke, but Yuni, her peach-colored hair tousled, vigorously shook her head from side to side, as if trying to shake off a predicted future.
"Yuni doesn't want to be abandoned...! Yuni doesn't want to be separated from Mihara...!"
"Yeah... I feel the same way."
The operation and mission they had been assigned had ended in failure. They understood that what Syuen sought was success, and she was unlikely to accept apologies or explanations.
"Commander! Please help Yuni and the others so they won't be disposed of!" Uni pleaded, directing her gaze towards Moore.
Moore, however, didn't think he had the power to change their fate.
"My abilities won't be enough. The opponent is the CEO, and I am a mere commander, I don't think I can do much against her."
"...Yeah, that's true..."
He also voiced the reality. Still, he could have said something more reassuring. A man who lacked consideration wouldn't be very popular, Mihara thought.
"But... there's something..."
"What is it?"
His complexion didn't look great, probably due to the fatigue from the injury and blood loss. He turned to them with a serious look in his eyes.
"You guys have a track record of successfully capturing Raptures. That young lady recognizes your skills. You're valuable... I don't like using this analogy, but you're the kind of people I want to keep on hand. I don't think you'll be disposed of... Well, I don't know what will happen to me, but... if, by any chance, you're about to be disposed of, you can mention my name. And you can add that I once said, 'Next time, I'll make you urinate in front of the public.' "
"Oh... Would you really say that?"
"Yeah, I don't mind."
This reassurance was probably the best they could get. Moore let out a puff of smoke and relaxed slightly.
...If they had met a little earlier, maybe things would have been different. For she was drawn to the commander in front of her to the extent that honest attraction began to bud.
"Commander... Shifty is now connected."
At that moment, Lapi returned with good news. In response, he activated the headset with earpieces, but there was no response. It seemed to be broken.
"Here you go."
"Sorry... Thank you."
She handed him another headset. He expressed his thanks and took off his helmet. He then removed the headset he had been wearing, placed the housing over one ear, and brought the microphone to his mouth.
"Commander taking over."
[What on earth are you thinking!!]
The operator's first words were shouts of anger. Even though it was through the headset, he could almost envision her furious expression in front of him.
[Going up to the surface without any report? And mobilizing a squad...! You'll be facing a court-martial!]
Coulde he, as an injured party, wished for a bit more leniency? However, Shifty was in a towering rage and didn't give him a chance to respond.
But he couldn't remain silent when being scolded like this. He seized the moment to respond to Shifty, who had finally stopped.
"Regarding this incident, it was caused by orders from Miss Syuen, the CEO of Missile... I mean, Missiles Industries. I won't say we bear no responsibility, but the main blame should be directed at her."
[Syuen? Chairman Syuen?]
When he mentioned Shuen's name, there was a hint of hesitation from Shifty on the other side of the housing. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again.
[I see. There's some "outer" involvement. I'll report this to Vice Commander Anderson.]
"Ah, I'd appreciate that."
[And... how's the situation?]
"It's the worst. Two heavy injuries in the Wardress squad. As for the Counters squad... the only significant injury is mine. My right leg is amputated below the knee, and I've lost vision in my right eye."
Silence fell abruptly. He wondered if something had happened.
[What... amputation!? And losing sight...!?]
"…Rapi should have given you a rough report. And this exchange is being recorded, right? So, let me make it clear. Regarding the injuries, there's absolutely no blame on Nikke and the other squad who participated in this operation. It's entirely my own doing as Lieutenant Shaw Moore, as I cut off my own leg and removed a shard that had pierced my right eye. Please record this."
He knew there was a vague rule called the Commander's Absolute Protection Law. Still, the fact that his participation in a combat situation with significantly increased risk of injury or death was being quietly accepted was because it was considered a voluntary act of the commander, and if interpreted more broadly, it could be seen as an act of self-harm or suicide.
Whether it would be applied or not was uncertain, but he wanted to make sure this significant injury wouldn't be attributed to the responsibility of Shifty, and his squad members.
—Is this person really injured ?
A sigh escaped from Shifty involuntarily.
[I understand. About ten minutes' walk from that radio tower, there should be a collapsed old-era airport with a runway. We'll send a transport there. Just be prepared awhen you come back! There WILL be consequences for this!!]
"...Ah. I didn't intend to let it end for free. I'll accompany you on dates and shopping, and I'm even planning to treat you to drinks and anything else."
[Haaah....Communication end!]
With the thought that if he can make such light-hearted remarks, there's no need to worry, Shifty quickly ended the communication.
Acknowledging that, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, tossed the cigarette butt into a portable ashtray, and pursed his lips while once again putting the painkiller stick in his mouth with a deep sigh.
"...It's hurting again."
"Are you okay, Commander?"
"I'm fine. The transport is coming. Let's secure landing zone 'LZ' as soon as possible."
Using an iron pipe as a cane, he slowly started walking, still appearing weary even in his slightest movements.
-----
A sandstorm raged, and the battlefield was filled with dust that obscured the view, accompanied by the sound of gunfire and beams of light crossing the sky.
In the midst of the swirling dust, under the gleaming red monoculars, they aimed their firearms, pulled the triggers, and continued to defeat the advancing Rapture creatures.
"There are too many!"
The fact that the Raptures didn't seem to decrease even after being defeated was reason enough for Anis to mutter with frustration as she fired grenades into the fray.
"The transport is coming soon! Keep up the barrage!"
"Sensei!"
With one leg lost and her right eye gone, Moore still fired her gun towards the enemy, trying to give the squad addtional firepower. Sensing that Rapture beams were about to converge on him, Neon pulled her body armor over him to shield him.
At that moment, Moore, lying on his back, saw multiple beams passing above him against his will.
"Sorry...Phew, I'm saved!"
He tensed his abdominal muscles, raised his upper body, handed his assault rifle over to the rubble, and took a firing position. He aimed through the ACOG, aligning his sights on the glowing red monocular he spotted, and fired short bursts.
The bullets pierced the core of the quadrupedal Rapture just before it attacked, causing the enemy craft to collapse and fire its beam in an unintended direction.
The beam struck the wreckage of a passenger plane that had been parked there decades ago, causing it to explode, presumably still containing some fuel.
Moore felt the shockwave of the explosion on his skin, but suddenly, the cries of men and women of all ages echoed in his mind.
----What is this?
As the throbbing headache intensified, so did the vivid echoes of the cries.
The painkiller should still be working. He couldn't understand why he was experiencing such excruciating pain.
Then, two turbo shafts roared, their explosions vibrating his eardrums.
"They're here!"
Looking up at the swirling dust, Rapi saw the transport approaching. But the Raptures wouldn't allow the transport to approach unharmed.
As soon as anti-aircraft fire began to streak through the sky, the transport started evasive maneuvers.
Just as Rapi was about to leap out from behind the rubble to continue attacking the Raptures that were attacking the transport from above, the cargo door at the rear of the aircraft opened, and something inside the aircraft shone, catching his left eye.
"Get down! Close Air Support, CAS!"
His warning came just in time. As flashes of light like camera flashes ran through the cargo area of the transport, the Raptures, which had been actively firing anti-aircraft beams into the sky, were shot down and exploded.
Not stopping there, a straight line of dust rose from the runway. Afterward, there was a continuous, deep bass gunfire, with a staggering rate of nearly 4,000 rounds per minute.
The shots struck the ground in a single line, and the Raptures that touched the line were destroyed one after another.
Unfortunately, Moore couldn't witness this spectacle as he was lying down, but when he got up after close air support had ended, he looked up at the sky.
Several figures descended from the cargo of the twin-rotor transport without using ropes, following the pull of gravity toward the ground.
"Absolute... Elysion's strongest squad..."
"What a dependable reinforcements..."
It's convenient to be able to descend without using ropes, he thought with sincere envy. And while noticing that the clothing worn by the three figures closely resembled Rapi's own, Moore couldn't help but feel 'relief' that reinforcements had arrived.
---And that's where his constant surge of adrenaline stop pumping.
"Sensei? SENSEI!?"
"Neon, what's wrong!?"
-- Amidst the blurred vision, the panicked voices of his subordinates remained in his ears as he reached his limit and lost consciousness.
-----
Author Notes:
Even though he's sustained such combat injuries and is still conscious, I think the commander has pretty much stopped being human.
*On February 22, in a surprising collaboration, information came out that "Ark-made weapons are basically fingerprint-locked. They can't be used by anyone other than the designated individual." (Seriously!?), so this is a bit of a forced coincidence...
